Montbell Cool Hoodie Review

Oftentimes, hooded sun shirts are made with fabric too thick for on-the-go activities, being more geared toward standing around in the sweltering sun. If you perspire a lot when moving, this could lead to sweating a little more than you've anticipated. A sun shirt with thinner fabric may serve you better, and that's really what the Montbell Cool Hoodie brings to the table. We certainly appreciated this on our own trail runs and bike rides in the warm and sunny Colorado weather. And, if you're a fan of kangaroo-style pockets, this hooded sun shirt features them — a style we can't say we see too often.

Performance Comparison

Comfort and Fit

The 100% Polyester fabric of the Cool Hoodie is a bit thinner than most of the hooded sun shirts we've tested and reviewed. This will ultimately lead to a cooler, more breathable shirt. The fabric has a sleeker feeling on the exterior and a slightly scratchier one on the interior. Montbell calls this fabric "Wickron Cool"; the interior fabric is optimized for wicking and the exterior for evaporating sweat.

The fit is true to its size on the Cool. We suggest that you size up if you're on the cusp, as the cut is more trim and athletic than loose. Thumb loops at the end of the sleeves are well designed and will easily swallow up the back of your hand underneath them — almost engulfing all your knuckles. A separate pair of sun gloves would hardly be needed.

The hood itself is generous in size, and we had no trouble being able to fit a helmet underneath. The half zip on the front makes it easy to open the shirt up for a bit more ventilation. The length is generous, and you'll have no problem with fitting the bottom of the shirt underneath something like a climbing harness or below the hip strap of a hiking pack.

Sun Protection

Montbell doesn't publish a UPF rating for the Cool Hoodie, but we suspect it's around UPF 40, given that they state that their “Wickron™ COOL” fabric “blocks more than 90% of UV radiation”. A UPF rating of 50 (as seen in many other sun shirts) would block 98% of the sun's UV rays. The thinner fabric of the Cool, while being more breathable, could potentially be a little less protective. Still, this is indeed a full-on sun shirt and, for most applications, the protection should be adequate. If you're looking for a sun shirt primarily for maximum sun protection, this shirt may not be the best choice for what you're looking for.

Breathability

The Cool Hoodie shines when it comes to breathability. This shirt does well on warmer days or high output activities like trail running but may just be too thin and flyweight for long fishing days or hanging out by the beach. The cut is loose enough to promote air circulation, and the half zip helps with dumping hot air that has built up during a strenuous effort.

Versatility

Being so lightweight and simple usually means that a hooded sun shirt is also fairly versatile, and that is the case with this one. Branding is also kept at a minimum, which we appreciate, especially if we're moving right from the trailhead parking lot to an after-hike hamburger stop.

The fabric does have a titanium dioxide photo-catalytic anti-odor treatment that'll help neutralize odors. In our tests, we found that it worked pretty well, and we kept the shirt unwashed for many days at a time between wears. Since the fabric is light and the weave promotes wicking and evaporation, rinsing and drying the shirt after activities or at night can help extend the times between a machine wash. We found the dry time to be quicker than most of the sun shirts we've reviewed, coming down mostly to the thinner fabric.

But being a little less durable than other sun shirts we've tested, we can't say the Montbell is going to make it through the harshest of situations unscathed. Thruhikes, trail runs, climbing, and fishing trips all have the potential to be hard on gear.

Durability

Unfortunately, the downside of using a thin, breathable fabric is overall durability. We've already noticed the fabric itself begin to pill up, seams start to get fuzzy, and loose ends begin to show. If your days include a lot of bushwhacking to secret fishing spots, your relationship with the Cool Hoodie will be short-lived.

Features

The most standout feature of this shirt is its kangaroo pocket. A half-length zipper on the chest can help to dump heat, and well-designed thumb loops are found at the cuffs of the sleeves. The fabric is thinner than most of the other shirts we've tested, and with that, it has less sun protection — we estimate it at being around UPF 40. The fabric also has cooling, and anti-odor treatments applied.

Value

The Cool Hoodie is less expensive than most of the hooded sun shirts we've tested, save for the absolute budget options. We appreciate the thoughtful features found in the shirt — especially the kangaroo pocket, half zip up front, and perfect thumb loops. For its price, we still would like to see the durability be just a notch better to really protect your investment into the product.

Conclusion

Thin, lightweight, with great features, the Montbell Cool Hoodie is made for those that are seeking a more breathable sun shirt at the expense of sun protection and overall durability. It's a good choice for a sun shirt — especially if you're usually on the move, rather than standing still.